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Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have resulted in the deaths of numerous civilians, including newborn twins and their extended family. The ongoing conflict has intensified the humanitarian crisis, leaving many children orphaned and families decimated read more
 "Israeli airstrike kills four days old newborn twins, their mother, grandmother")
Palestinian man mourns loss of his four days old twin boys, wife and mother. AP
In the northern part of Gaza, Mohamed Abuel-Qomasan saw deaths of his wife and their twin babies, just four days old, due to an Israeli airstrike. This attack is part of serial and relentless military campaign by Israel against Hamas that has continued for over 10 months.
The bombardments have resulted in the deaths of entire families, leaving many children orphaned and displacing countless others. Some survivors are so young that they will have no recollection of their lost family members.
On Monday evening, an Israeli strike hit a home near Khan Younis, killing ten people, including the parents of Abu Hayyah and five siblings aged between 5 and 12, as well as the parents of three other children. The four surviving children were injured in the attack.
Soad Abu Hayyah, the aunt of one of the children, lamented that the baby, now the sole survivor of her immediate family, was struggling to adjust to formula milk after being used to her mother’s breast milk.
The strike that killed Abuel-Qomasan’s wife and their newborn twins, Asser and Ayssel, also took the life of the twins’ grandmother. Abuel-Qomasan, who was in a hospital following the loss, held up the twins’ birth certificates as he described the devastating moment he learned of the bombing.
The Israeli military has yet to comment on this specific strike. The Gaza Health Ministry reports that since the conflict began, 115 newborns have died as a result of the bombardments.
Israel asserts that it aims to avoid civilian casualties and blames such losses on Hamas, which allegedly operates within civilian areas. However, the army seldom addresses individual strikes, which often result in significant civilian casualties. The Gaza Health Ministry estimates that nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war’s inception, though it does not specify the number of fighters among the deceased.
In retaliation for a brutal October 7 attack by Hamas militants, which resulted in around 1,200 deaths and about 250 abductions, Israel has launched extensive military operations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has frequently highlighted the severity of the attack, illustrating the violence inflicted upon civilians.
The ongoing conflict has led to a severe humanitarian crisis, with thousands of children left orphaned. The term “WCNSF,” short for “wounded child, no surviving family,” is used by doctors to register these children. The United Nations estimated in February that approximately 17,000 children in Gaza are unaccompanied, and this number is likely higher now.
The Abu Hayyah family was sheltering in an area that had been evacuated under Israeli orders. This evacuation directive is part of a broader effort to relocate residents to what has been described as humanitarian zones—overcrowded tent camps along the coast. Most of Gaza’s residents have fled their homes multiple times, as the territory, only 25 miles (40 kilometers) long and about 7 miles (11 kilometers) wide, remains under strict Israeli blockade since May. According to the United Nations, around 84% of Gaza’s land has been placed under evacuation orders.
Many residents have ignored these orders due to the perceived lack of safety, difficulty of travel, or concerns about losing their homes permanently. Abuel-Qomasan and his wife had evacuated Gaza City early in the conflict, following military instructions to seek refuge in central Gaza.
With inputs from The Associated Press
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